


nothing left to leave behind

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alternate Universe - SHIELD, Alternate universe - Marvel, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-02
Updated: 2015-02-02
Packaged: 2018-03-06 14:00:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3136982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He squeezes his eyes shut and puts his head in his hands, and holds onto the memory of Thomas with all his might.</p>
            </blockquote>





	nothing left to leave behind

**Author's Note:**

> this is the most incoherent thing i've ever written lmao

The first time Gally ever saw Thomas was in Alby's office. Newt had been sent down to the shooting range (grumbling about hierarchy and Alby's ego) to bring Gally in.

"Why does he want me?"

Newt shrugged, grinning. "He probably found out about that time you got drunk and bailed on a mission."

"That was _years_ ago!" Gally exclaimed.

His friend shrugged again. "Good luck in there!"

Newt left him at the half-opened door.

"Come in, Agent," Alby called out at him.

Gally entered the large room, immediately stiffening at the sight of the stranger sitting across from the director of SHIELD.

"Gally, this is Thomas."

The stranger nodded at him.

"I'd like you to personally train him."

"What?"

Alby frowned. "It won't be too much trouble, will it?" That wasn't a question, Gally knew. It was a warning.

"No sir."

"Good. You start tomorrow, six o'clock sharp."

 

The next morning, Gally entered the large gym to find the new agent - Thomas - already warming up. He was committed, Gally'd give him that. But he was tiny and bony. It would be long work to get enough muscle on him to function properly in the field. (Besides, Gally was still in the middle of a mission, which would now take much longer than expected.)

When Thomas noticed him watching, he immediately pushed himself up into a standing position, almost defensively.

"Why do you want to join SHIELD?" Gally asked, his voice echoing through the empty gymnasium.

The question seemed to catch Thomas off guard. There was no doubt in Gally's mind that Thomas had prepared an answer to that question, rehearsing it in front of a mirror over and over again, and yet standing here, the boy licked his lips nervously and did not answer for a while.

"My twin sister joined an agency and I wasn't about to let her one-up me," he said finally.

It almost surprised a smile out of Gally. Almost.

 

During their first mission together, Thomas almost took a bullet for Gally, and Gally shot out a S.H.I.E.L.D. car's engine so that it screeched to a halt only feet in front of Thomas.

 

It was almost like magic, the way they learned to work together. It took some time, sure, but in the end all the wrinkles were smoothed out and something akin to love was born between the two men.

Gally taught Thomas how to be a good agent, how to listen to orders (which took years longer than it should have), how to put to civilians before himself - or his friends. How to get his head out of his ass in the field because you can't let emotions rule your thoughts: it'll only end in more casualties. But Thomas taught Gally to stop getting drunk out of his mind every time they lost an agent during a mission. He taught him that it was never his fault. not directly anyways.

They also learned things about each other. Thomas learned that, to Gally, the next best thing to getting absolutely shitfaced post-mission was renting a cheap hotel on S.H.I.E.L.D. funds and making out in a darkened room. He learned that the nightmares didn't get better, only worse, especially when Gally wasn't around to slap him out of it. Gally learned that Thomas has a tender spot behind his ear that makes him moan when kissed. He also learned that he didn't get nightmares anymore, not really, when he knew that Thomas was near.

They never talked about any of this. It was just a thing they knew about, like how to fire a gun or the best way to take out an opponent. And when Minho caught Thomas stumbling out of Gally's room, while they were on a covert op, at three in the morning with messy hair and no shirt on, the rest of the team knew about it as well.

 

Their last mission together had started out fine. It hadn't felt like anything out of the ordinary, really. A few agents were being held hostage, and Thomas, Gally and Newt were sent in to smooth things out.

They were each carrying a gun and a few extra bullets. Nothing big or heavy. It was an easy op. It should have been easier.

They counted on the captors putting up a fight. They counted on the agents to get their own asses out of there once the threat had been neutralized. They didn't count on the stray bullet from a dying enemy's gun to hit Thomas in the stomach.

Gally's brain slowed down. He heard someone shout, and he wasn't entirely sure that it hadn't been him. Thomas frowned a little, looking down at his abdomen, his gray shirt turning dark. Then he started to fall, and Gally jerked back into action. He caught Thomas before he hit the ground and shouted for medical backup. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Agent Chuck is calling now," said Newt. "He'll be fine." 

Gally only shook his head and stared at Thomas' pale face blankly.

 

In the medical facility, Newt had to hold Gally back before he charged after the doctors into the operating room.

It was hours before he was allowed in to see Thomas. The man's face was pale, almost translucent. His eyes were closed.

"He won't wake up, will he?" Gally asked. He may be emotionally compromised, but he wasn't stupid. A bullet wound to the stomach meant most likely dead.

"You'll have to contact his family," was the only response.

"He doesn't have any," Gally mumbled. "His sister is off on assignment somewhere. Last we heard she was somewhere very off-the-grid."

The nurse who'd spoken, Jeff, put a hand on the specialist's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said. "That means you'll have to make the decision."

 

Minho was called in, and the director was informed. The agents who'd been rescued had been brought back to HQ. Gally swallowed, looking at Thomas.

"There's nothing we can do for him." He interrupted Newt and Minho's hushed conversation, stone-cold, calculating. "Take him off," he ordered Jeff. The nurse nodded and set to work switching off the machines keeping Thomas alive. 

Gally sat by the bed, holding Thomas's hand.

 

"It's not your fault, Gally. Stop blaming yourself."

He could feel Newt's hand on his shoulder, Minho standing at his side, Director Alby's voice in his ear trying to convince him to let it go. But he couldn't let it go, because all he could see was Thomas in the hospital bed, paler than the sheets covering him, the heart monitor no longer beeping, the machines no longer keeping him alive.

 _How,_ he asks himself, _is this not all his fault?_ He squeezed his eyes shut and put his head in his hands, and held onto the memory of Thomas with all his might.


End file.
